Seahawks get good news on injured QB Geno Smith as they regroup after loss
SEATTLE (AP) — Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks got some encouraging news a day after a dispiriting loss to the Green Bay Packers. Coach Mike Macdonald says tests on Smith’s right knee did not reveal any major injury. Macdonald says he’s hopeful about the veteran quarterback’s availability for next weekend’s game against the visiting Minnesota Vikings. If Smith is able to play, it could be the latest reversal in an up-and-down season for the Seahawks. They had their four-game winning streak stopped in Sunday night’s 30-13 loss to the Packers and fell into a first-place tie with the Rams in the NFC West.
Chargers are reeling after loss to Bucs with important showdown with Broncos on deck
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Playoff-contending teams would like to be rolling into the final three games of the regular season. Instead, the Los Angeles Chargers are reeling after Sunday’s 40-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and with a short turnaround before what could be its biggest game of the season. The only saving grace for the Chargers going into Thursday night’s showdown with AFC West rival Denver is that they have an 83% chance of making the playoffs according to the NFL. Los Angeles (8-6) — which has dropped three of its past four — holds the last wild-card spot in the AFC and has a two-game lead over Indianapolis, Miami and Cincinnati.
With long string of losing seasons over, Broncos have good chance to end 8-year playoff drought
DENVER (AP) — The Denver Broncos are on the cusp of clinching their first playoff berth since 2015. They overcame a slow start and poor play to beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-13 on Sunday thanks to five takeaways and a blunder by Jonathan Taylor whose gaffe helped turn the tide for Denver. The Broncos’ ninth win means they ended their seven-year streak of losing seasons. Another win and they’ll end their eight-year playoff drought.
The 49ers have suspended De’Vondre Campbell for final 3 games
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers have suspended linebacker De’Vondre Campbell for the final three games of the regular season after he refused to enter a game after losing his starting job. The news came four days after Campbell’s refusal to go into a game against the Los Angeles Rams was decried by coaches and teammates as a selfish act. The Collective Bargaining Agreement allows teams to suspend a player for up to four games without pay for conduct detrimental to the team and fine them one week’s pay.
McVay, Rams aren’t expecting Aaron Donald to come out of retirement, and they don’t intend to ask
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams are not expecting Aaron Donald to come out of retirement to join their playoff push, and coach Sean McVay says he would feel uncomfortable even asking. When McVay was asked Monday whether he anticipated any possibility of a comeback, he made it clear he doesn’t expect it. He also said he wouldn’t even initiate that conversation with Donald, who retired last March. Rams fans have been irrationally hoping for a comeback by Donald ever since he stepped away from the game at just 32 years old while still apparently at the peak of his formidable talents.
Aaron Rodgers’ recent resurgence for the Jets is showing he might have plenty left beyond this year
Aaron Rodgers turned back the clock the past few weeks and reignited talk about whether the New York Jets quarterback has another quality season left in him. Or maybe even more. The 41-year-old Rodgers scrambled like a youngster and tossed the ball around the field to Davante Adams as if it were the old days in a 32-25 victory Sunday at Jacksonville. In his last two games, Rodgers is 43 of 69 for 628 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. He also ran for 45 yards, the seventh-highest total of his 20-year career, on six carries in the win over the Jaguars.